Spain Seeks First Knockout Win in 16 Years Against Austria in FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32

In an exciting Round of 32 match of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Spain, the former champions, will face Austria on Thursday at Los Angeles. Although Spain enters the match as the stronger side, they are cautious not to underestimate Austria.

Spain, the 2010 World Cup winners, started their campaign with a surprising goalless draw against Cape Verde but made an impressive comeback. Their 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, highlighted by superstar Lamin Yamal’s goal and assist, rejuvenated the team’s momentum. Subsequently, Spain secured a tough 1-0 win over Uruguay, topping Group H with 7 points and advancing to the knockout stage.

On the other hand, Austria’s journey to the knockout rounds has been turbulent. They opened Group J by defeating Jordan 3-1 but were then beaten 2-0 by Lionel Messi’s Argentina. In their final group match, Sasa Kalajzic scored in injury time to secure a dramatic 3-3 draw against Algeria, propelling Austria into the knockout phase.

The winner of this match will face either Portugal or Croatia in the Round of 16 on July 6 at Dallas Stadium.

Historically, despite being a strong team, Spain has not won a knockout match in the World Cup for the past 16 years. In the last two editions, Spain was eliminated in the Round of 16. Their last knockout victory dates back to the 2010 final, where they beat the Netherlands 1-0 to clinch the title. Spain’s current coach Luis de la Fuente hopes their young star Lamin Yamal, fully fit, will return to the starting eleven.

Spain will be without Nico Williams and Yeremy Pino, both sidelined by injury. Victor Munoz’s participation remains uncertain. Austria has not yet disclosed any injury or availability issues. Captain David Alaba stated, ‘We know the quality of the team we are up against. Spain has highly skilled players capable of changing the outcome single-handedly. But we will not be afraid. We know our abilities, and if we give 100% on the field, we can beat them.’

Coach Luis de la Fuente described Austria as an aggressive team and warned against taking them lightly. ‘Austria are a very attacking, determined, and strong high-pressing team. This match will be a one-on-one battle across every area of the pitch. With our players’ talent, we will gradually showcase our best football,’ he said.

Probable Starting Line-ups:
Spain: Unai Simon (Goalkeeper); Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Lamin Yamal, Dani Olmo, Alex Baena; Mikel Oyarzabal
Austria: Alexander Schlager (Goalkeeper); Stefan Posch, Philipp Lienhart, David Alaba, Konrad Laimer; Nicolas Seiwald, Xaver Schlager; Romano Schmid, Marko Arnautović, Michael Sabitzer; Sasa Kalajzic

Match Details:
Spain vs Austria, Round of 32
Date & Time: June 19, 12:45 AM
Venue: Los Angeles Stadium
Live Broadcast: Himalaya Sports